Shaker



April 'Lv 1964 C. D. CLINE 3,128,082

SHAKER Filed March 2, 1962 CAUDE D. Cl//VE BY /PA/@s maw Arrow/5v5.

United States Patent M1ce 3,128,082 SHAKER Claude D. Cline, P.O. Box4308, Pasadena, Calif. Filed Mar. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 176,931 4 Claims.(Cl. 259-72) This invention relates to a shaker for agitating fluid incontainers.

An object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive shaker suitablefor use in the home to agitate small containers, such as those for nailpolish.

A shaker according to this invention comprises a base, a journal mountedto the base, and an eccentric mounted to the journal. A support ismounted to the eccentric and means are provided for turning theeccentric to oscillate the support whereby the contents of the containerare agitated when the eccentric is turned.

According to a preferred but optional feature of the invention, thesupport includes a substantially upright coil spring together with meansfor holding the container that are attached to the spring. The eccentriccomprises a crank arm with a shaft and a throw, the throw being attachedto the means for holding the container whereby the spring serves toimprove the oscillatory properties of the support.

According to still another preferred but optional feature of theinvention, the means for turning the eccentric comprises an electricmotor.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understoodfrom the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation of the presently preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. l and FIG. 3-5 are plan views of alternateembodiments of portions of the invention.

The presently preferred embodiment of a shaker 1i) according to theinvention is shown in FIG. 1. The device includes a base 11, which maybe a piece of wood or plastic, and which may have a vibration-absorbinglayer 12 of material such as foam rubber on the bottom surface thereof.

The device includes a pair of journals 13, 14 xed to a base by screws15. The journals are made of a piece of flanged iron, each having a holetherethrough to serve as a bearing.

An eccentric 16 comprises a shaft 17 mounted to the journals. A crankthrow 18 constitutes an off-axis portion which describes a circular patharound the axis of the shaft.

Support means 20 are provided for holding a container 21, such as abottle of nail polish to be shaken or agitated. The support meansincludes a platform 22 having integral therewith a plurality of springfingers 23 which grasp the container. A pair of bearings 24 are formedintegrally with the platform, and are therefore connected to the lingersand serve to journal the journal crank throw 18. It will be seen thatrotation of the eccentric will cause the support means to oscillate.

The support means additionally includes a coil spring 25 whose lower endis rigidly aixed to the base, and whose upper end is connected to theplatform. One convolution 26 may, if desired, be used to back up thespring lingers. It will be seen that rotation of the eccentric causesalternate compression and extension of the coil spring. This coil springthereby aids in the oscillatory function of the eccentric. It reducesthe size of motor needed to run the device.

A spring coupling 27 connects shaft 17 with a motor shaft 28. The motorshaft is driven by means 29 for turning the eccentric which, in thiscase, comprises an electric motor, preferably of the flashlight-batterydriven 3,128,082 Patented Apr. 7,y 1964 type. The motor sits atop abattery pack 30 to which it is connected by leads 31, 32. Lead 32includes switch 33 for turning the motor on and olf.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of eccentric 35, which can besubstituted for the eccentric in FIG. l. This eccentric comprises a pairof crank arms 36, 37 which are journaled to the base. A platform 38includes four bearings 39 which serve to journal the crank arms. Theplatform holds the throws on the crank arms uniformly apart so that theymove in unison.

FIG. 4 illustrates another eccentric 40 which can be substituted inFIG. 1. This device also utilizes a pair of crank arms 41, 42 in which aplatform 43 joins together the crank throws. Spur gearsl 45, 46 arerespectively attached to arms 41 and 42, and are meshed with a drivegear 47. Turning the drive gear drives in unison both of the crank armsthrough the gearing.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a support 50 whichincludes a platform 51 and spring fingers 52, but in which the peripheryof the platform is somewhat ablong instead of round as in FIGS. 1 and 2.The arrangement of FIG. 5 is more suitable for shaking rectangular oroblong shaped containers than the device of FIG. 1. It is utilized inthe same manner.

It will be understood that in illustrating eccentrics of the type shown,that it is not intended to limit the invention to those types whereinthe platform is journaled to the eccentric. Other types of action, `suchas vibrating the device by contact with a rotary cam, producing onlyvertical movement is also within the scope of the invention. lt is thusnot essential that the eccentric hold up the support. The support couldbe held merely by the coil spring, for example, in contact with a cam.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiments shown in thedrawings and described in the description which are given by way ofillustration and not of limitation, but only in accordance with thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mechanical shaker apparatus for use in shaking small containers ofcosmetic materials and the like, said apparatus comprising a base havingan upright helical spring secured thereto, at least one of the upperconvolutions of said helical spring being of larger diameter than theadjacent lower convolutions thereof and being adapted to resilientlygrip the lower end of a container to be shaken with the bottom of thecontainer closely overlying said adjacent smaller diameter convolutionsof said spring, and power driven eccentric means coupled to the upperend of said helical spring and effective to agitate the contents of acontainer while supported within the top convolution of said spring.

2. A mechanical shaker apparatus for use in agitating the contents ofsmall containers of fluids subject to settling, said apparatuscomprising a base secured across the lower end of an upright open coilspring having a convolution at its upper end for seating and resilientlygripping the lower portion of a container to be agitated, at least oneof the spring convolutions at the upper end of said spring immediatelybelow said container gripping convolution being of smaller diameter thanthe container and underlying the bottom of the container, eccentricmeans operatively connected to the upper end portion of said helicalspring and including power means to rotate said eccentric means therebyto agitate a container supported in said upper spring convolution.

3. Mechanical shaker apparatus as defined in claim 2 characterized inthat said eccentric means includes bearing support means thereformounted on said base on diametrically opposed sides of said upright coilspring, electric motor means mounted on said base opposite one end ofsaid eccentric means, and coil spring coupling means for driving saideccentric from said motor means having one end connected to saideccentric means and its other end connected to the motor shaft.

4. Power driven shaker apparatus for use in agitating the fluid contentsof small containers, said apparatus having an electric motor, meanssupporting a helical spring in an upright position with the upper end ofthe spring disposed opposite one end of the motor shaft, the upperconvolution of said spring being larger than the closely underlyingconvolutions of said spring and cooperating therewith to provide aresilient socket for resiliently seating and gripping the lower portionof a container to be shaken, eccentric means mounted crosswise of theupper portion of said helical spring, and coil spring means resilientlycoupling said eccentric means to said motor shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS190,257 Sterms May 1, 1877 2,846,201 Mermelstein Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGNPATENTS 705,773 France of 1931

1. A MECHANICAL SHAKER APPARTUS FOR USE IN SHAKING SMALL CONTAINERS OFCOSMETIC MATERIALS AND THE LIKE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE HAVINGAN UPRIGHT HELICAL SPRING SECURED THERETO, AT LEAST ONE OF THE UPPERCONVOLUTIONS OF SAID HELICAL SPRING BEING OF LARGER DIAMETER THAN THEADJACENT LOWER CONVOLUTIONS THEREOF AND BEING ADAPTED TO RESILIENTLYGRIP THE LOWER END OF A CONTAINER TO BE SHAKEN WITH THE BOTTOM OF THECONTAINER CLOSELY OVERLYING SAID ADJACENT SMALLER DIAMETER CONVOLUTIONSOF SAID SPRING, AND POWER DRIVEN ECCENTRIC MEANS COUPLED TO THE UPPEREND OF SAID HELICAL SPRING AND EFFECTIVE TO AGITATE THE CONTENTS OF ACONTAINER WHILE SUPPORTED WITHIN THE TOP CONVOLUTION OF SAID SPRING.